Blame the Calendar
by Alece
Summary: AU: First season - Julie sees the "charity" calendar featuring the Dillon Panthers - including her so-called boyfriend Matt in a compromising position. She breaks up with Matt, but he's not the one she keeps thinking about... My first FNL story.
1. Chapter 1: The Breakup

A/N: I've just started watching Friday Night Lights recently, went in search of fan-written stories and discovered an AU pairing I love: Tim/Julie, Tulie, whatever you want to call them. While reading every story I could find about them I became inspired to write one of my own.

This story begins at the end of "Upping the Ante" (season 1 episode 14), I've posted the scenes on YouTube to remind you guys, you can find the link in my profile.

Here's the first chapter! Don't worry, Tim will appear in the next chapter!

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I asked Matt what he had done last night and he looked away before he replied. I should have known then he would lie, but I had hoped he would be able to give me an explanation I could believe, something that would justify my giving him the benefit of the doubt after some rally girl shoved the "charity" calendar in my face the second I got to school this morning. Finally turning to face him, I looked at him disbelievingly and couldn't resist shaking my head slightly before telling him I had seen the calendar.

"What?" Matt asked me dumbfounded. After I told him about the rally girls passing it around he launched into an explanation about kidnapping and nothing happening despite his being photographed in a hot tub practically naked next to some scantily clad rally girls. How am I supposed to feel when he was caught going to second base with not one, not two, but three other girls when we're supposed to be dating? He should know that I'm hurt, that I didn't want to see him in math. I'm supposed to be his girlfriend and he can barely kiss me, let alone take it to second base, and yet with those rally girls … the only thing I have in common with them is my hair color. They're older and more experienced and they treat the QB1 like a god rather than a real person.

If nothing happened, he shouldn't have felt the need to lie about it. Even though he admitted lying was dumb and apologized, it wasn't enough. I had thought he was different; believed that he wouldn't be just another jock and buy into the celebrity the town would give him for being the quarterback.

I had trusted him to want me.

I was able to hold onto what was left of my pride long enough to say in a weepy voice I hated myself for, "I'm sorry too." Walking away after telling him to go off with the rally girls and his football friends and leave me alone wasn't easy. I couldn't look back, it was all I could do not to breakdown in the middle of the hallway, but I didn't want him see how much his actions had hurt me nor did I want to give the gossip mill another reason to be talking about me.

He would have to be completely clueless to no realize that the rest of the students were talking about the calendar. As if being the girl who had taken the QB off the market wasn't enough to make the rest of the girls hate me, the image of my so-called boyfriend getting handled by a trio of rally girls would have them all racking their brains for something that could persuade him into being untrue. From the assessing looks people were giving me as I passed through the halls it wasn't hard for me to figure out that girls and guys alike were wondering how I had managed to catch their golden boy in the first place and what I had – or hadn't – done to drive him into the willing arms of those rally girls the night before.

The weight of everyone's stares and the sick feeling I had knowing they were all talking about me behind my back almost convinced me that leaving early was a good idea. Only after Lois pointed out that everyone would know I was hiding from this latest fiasco and that I would have to explain the onset of my sudden illness to my parents did I decide to suffer through the rest of the school day. I was so preoccupied with maintaining the pretense of being unaffected, that I hadn't thought about the playoff game that night. If I hadn't wanted to explain the situation to my parents to avoid my peers, I didn't want to try justifying being unable to support my dad at such an important moment of his career; as coach of the Dillon Panthers, this game was crucial. I knew I would have to attend the game that night, but I was not looking forward to it.

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Please review & let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2: PreGame

A/N: Just to be clear: this is a Tim/Julie (Tulie) fic. I thought I had mentioned that, but I guess it wasn't clear enough – sorry to have caused any confusion. Tim makes an appearance near the end of this chapter, you'll get more of him as the story continues!

Thanks to reviewers** Anamia 1**, **amandahearts33** & **lynny **– your words of encouragement spurred me to post this chapter sooner – Keep them coming!

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After having him witness my weepiness at school earlier, I put extra effort into my appearance for the game that night.

Instead of the away jersey Matt had given me to wear, I put my black cowboy boots on over my new pair of dark skinny jeans (the ones Tyra had said looked phenomenal and insisted I buy) and perused my options. I wasn't really thinking about the football game so much as the after party. Attending the game required my blue Dillon Panthers hoodie; however, the party needed something else entirely. Deciding on the black halter (another purchase Tyra had been adamant about) I left my hair down and went to apply black liner with a subtle cat eye and a neutral lip gloss – nothing over the top and therefore nothing that would draw the suspicion of my mother.

As we left the house she did say, "You look nice honey." I had to hide my smile because she wouldn't have said that if she'd seen me without the sweatshirt on.

Arriving at the stadium we separated: mom to go wish dad luck before the game (ick), me to go save our seats. Even though we had arrived early, the stands were already bustling with people. I avoided looking toward the teeming student section; instead I scanned the area behind the Panther bench for a space that would fit the two of us. I exchanged a reluctant wave with Mrs. Saracen before hurrying over to where Tyra was sitting with Billy Riggins.

I quickly put my purse down in mom's seat before joining the other two in their speculation about the upcoming game. They welcomed my insight about the other team – it had been impossible not to gain some from the amount of tape dad had been watching and if he hadn't been talking about his court appearance he had been discussing strategy for tonight's game.

I was thankful for the conversation distracting me from the players warming up on the field. I had managed to steer clear of Matt for the rest of the day at school (I suspected he had been avoiding me too, which helped), but I knew I wouldn't be able to avoid it during the game – he was quarterback after all. When mom arrived and began filling us in on Coach's confidence level for the game (high) I took the opportunity to take a look out on the field. Seeing dad talking to Matt, I kept my focus moving.

Some blocking drills had just finished and the guys were heading to the sidelines for a quick drink before heading back into the locker room. As they began taking off their helmets one by one, my mind flashed in turn to each of their calendar pictures.

One player had stayed out on a little longer than the rest having to receive a last minute suggestion from an assistant coach before he was allowed to get a drink. Helmet already off, #33 turned away from his coach, running his hand through his long hair as he walked to the sideline. As his hair settled, framing his face, he looked up into the stands. My breath caught in my throat and I looked away as I coughed.

I ignored mom and Tyra's looks (concerned and confused respectively), but when I managed to look back at the field he was gone.

_Shit_, I thought.

Tim Riggins was trouble with a capital T.

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Please review and let me know what you thought!


	3. Chapter 3: After Party: Part 1

A/N: So, just a couple things. 1) I'm aging Julie so that she's in the same grade as Tyra & Tim. She'd 16 & can drive even though she doesn't have her own car (this will come in handy later) 2) Julie's friendship with Tyra is a lot closer than it was when "Upping the Ante" aired. – I'll let you know if I come up with anything else I need to change.

To the following reviewers: **Anamia 1**, **lynny**, **vikaluvsjohnny**, **amandahearts33**, **clemsongirl26 **& **eXsTorDiNaRiLy InViSiBlE **– thank you so much! Your words of encouragement mean so much to me!

Also, this chapter is half Julie POV and half Tim POV. Please let me know what you think!

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Since he was a varsity football player, I hadn't thought much about every other girl at Dillon High insisting there was something about the fullback worth considering – they said that about _every_ football player. Looking at the picture of him – hair slicked back from his face, drops of water suspended on his taut muscles, steam was rising off his body in the night air, and his trademark smirk had been firmly in place – I had suddenly realized what all the fuss was about. He already looked good to begin with, but when he began removing articles of clothing he became downright dangerous. The boy looked damn good.

I had enjoyed our sound defeat of the Mavericks, the game giving me the ability to temporarily put the scrutiny of my peers from my mind, but once the game had finished I couldn't ignore the superior looks every high school girl was sending my way, like it was because of them and their endless adoration of him that Matt had had such a great game as quarterback.

After going with mom to congratulate dad on the win, I set off in search of Tyra. My parents thought we were going to her place for a sleepover and that's where we would end up – after she gave me a ride to the party. Having been present for the aftermath of my breakup earlier, she had convinced me that a night of indulgence might be just the thing I needed.

If Matt could do it while we had been together, there was absolutely nothing to stop me from doing the same thing now that we weren't.

Riding shotgun, I couldn't stop the anxiety that began mounting inside of me. By the time Tyra pulled the keys out of the ignition and her truck shuddered as the engine stopped I was feeling ill. The look Tyra had on her face was daring me to do what I had planned. With a playful shove to my shoulder she said, "C'mon girl, time to knock 'em dead." She hopped out and in a rush my sweatshirt settled in the cab of the truck as the doors slammed.

Approaching it I noticed that, aside from the multitude of parked cars, the front of the house was deserted. The pound of bass coming from beyond the front door of the house effectively drowned any further nerves I might have felt. I watched Tyra turn the handle of the front door and time seemed to slow as I shook my hair back, straightened my shoulders before leading the way inside.

**Tim's POV**

The house had ceased trying to contain the teenagers; their joy over the Panthers' win had carried them out onto the stretch of yard separating the house from the lake.

Preferring to remain inside for the time being, I had settled down on the living room couch with a beer when the air shifted around the room signifying the admittance of the latest arrivals to the raucous party.

Briefly neglecting my beer, I glanced over in time to see Collette enter, her typically defiant attitude firmly in place. I tipped my bottle in her direction by way of greeting and got a raised eyebrow in response.

As she reached the drinks table, I became aware of the other blond already standing there. Despite the curtain of hair running down her back, the absence of black material between its edge and the waistband of her jeans invited a challenge from every guy in the room – and I was gonna be first in line.

On my way to the dining room, under the pretense of needing another beer, I was jostled by the students who had congregated in the entry, occasionally I stopped long enough to accept congratulations for the win. Getting closer, I heard my ex remark on how every high school party was exactly like all the others. Her friend's teasing tone was impossible to miss, "Then why keep coming to them if they're so lame?" I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face upon seeing Tyra merely shrug in response. She would have never backed down that easy if I had asked that question.

By the time I had reached where I had first seen the two blonds, they were slowly making their way through the crowd in the opposite direction, heading toward the door leading outside. Reaching the door they were waylaid by an influx of my teammates and rally girls. Her profile being brought into sharp relief as they shifted to make room for the others to pass effectively stopped my pursuit immediately.

_Shit_, I thought.

Julie Taylor had suddenly become temptation with a capital T.

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Check out pictures of Julie's halter via the link on my profile!

Please review and let me know what you thought! The more reviews I get, the faster I write …


	4. Chapter 4: After Party: Part 2

**A/N 3/10: **Hey guys! Not an update, but a fix. Thanks to **jacedes** for pointing out a couple of POV mistakes. I switched to third person in the middle of a paragraph, oops! Finals are next week, but I promise to have an update by the end of spring break! Thanks for waiting so patiently, I appreciate it. - A

A/N: So - This is a pretty short update and probably the last one for a few weeks because I'm coming up the the end of the term and can't afford not to study.

I've continued with dual points of view and will as long as it is pertinent.

Thanks to the following people who reviewed: **vika**, **eXsTorDiNaRiLy InViSiBlE**, **Anamia 1**, **amandahearts 33** & **lynny**. Y'all are so great!

To all those people who have subscribed for story alert: Please Review!

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Matt hadn't seen me yet. He was too busy with the rally girls clinging to each of his arms to notice much else. All in similar positions, his teammates were ushering the group back into the house. Forced to make way for their brusque entrance, I looked away from the spectacle my ex-boyfriend was making of himself taking a distracted pull from the bottle in my hand.

Tyra made a snide generalization about jocks being a dime a dozen and as my gaze settled on a certain fullback I let out an exasperated sigh. "It's hard to remember that when they look so good." I turned back to follow her outside only to find Tyra staring at me in disbelief.

"What? They do!" The statement sounded petulant even to my ears, but I continued defiantly, ""You know they do – I saw the calendar in your truck." I could tell she wanted to deny having it, but she didn't say anything.

I waved my hand in a gesture that encompassed the room littered with players and I couldn't stop the smirk I felt materialize on my face when I noticed the piercing look being sent my way by a particular member of the offensive line. "After all," I told her matter-of-factly never taking my eyes off my friend's ex, "There's no harm in looking."

**Tim's POV**

I quickly backtracked to the drinks table, needing another no longer a ruse. I didn't have an explanation for not recognizing who she was except I had never expected Coach Taylor's daughter to show up wearing _that_.

When I had seen her earlier that week outside Applebee's – in fact every time I had ever noticed her – she had obviously been hiding her womanly figure with layers and necklines that did _not_ solicit the thoughts I was now having difficulty dispelling from my mind. What she was wearing tonight was entirely too informative leaving my – and every other guy's – imagination with the sole task of devising scenarios involving just the two of them … and little else …

Seizing hold of the devil-may-care attitude that had taken a nose dive upon recognizing her, I managed to resume my calculations pertaining to the blond.

I noticed Seven was amongst the group that had detained the pair who were now surveying the tableau before them. I was surprised when Julie's gaze passed quickly over where Saracen was enjoying the spoils of victory instead only stopping when it reached mine.

I watched, fascinated as her lips spread in a smirk and when she threw an offhanded comment back to Collette something sparked in her eyes that only served to further pique my curiosity.

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Please review and let me know what you think! Ideas/Suggestions are always welcome. Reviews might convince me to take a break from studying long enough to work on the next chapter ...

I plan a Tulie face-to-face encounter next time :)


	5. Chapter 5: Contact

A/N: Thanks for hanging in there guys! I think this is the longest update I've written so far. For everyone who has reviewed or subscribed, I appreciate your support! I should have time to be writing more often the term, so expect an update _way_ sooner!

I want your suggestions about what you want to see in future chapters - scenarios, dialogue, etc.

Here's the latest chapter!

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The next time I saw the blonds they had separated slightly. I couldn't figure out how he had managed it, but my tutor was monopolizing Collette with conversation leaving Taylor to watch the scene her ex-boyfriend was causing by groping the nearest rally girl he could find.

From my position holding up a wall in the dining room, I could see her taking one desperate pull from the bottle in her hand after another. Popping the caps off a couple bottles, I began to navigate my way through my cavorting classmates.

In their enthusiasm to congratulate me, a few underclassmen nearly made me spill the

beers. When another person bumped into me, a bottle fell from my hand as I fumbled to steady them and my tenuous hold on the frustration I had been feeling slipped. "Jesus, how hard is it for people to watch where they're going around here?"

"Sorry." Vocal chords gravely from disuse made the distinctly feminine reply sound like an invitation.

**Julie's POV**

Tyra had forgotten the reason we had come to this party in the first place. She had convinced _me_ that it was better to face the aftermath of a breakup than hear about it later. Like watching the guy who had been my boyfriend yesterday make out with a random rally girl would help me get over him.

The only thing the display was pushing me to do was get another beer.

Not wanting to cause suspicion, I made an excuse about finding a bathroom – not that Tyra was paying me any attention. With a final embittered look at my ex, I took the most direct path to the drinks table I could find through the crowded living room.

Maybe I was too busy seething from the ease the guy I had thought cared about me could forget about me or that what we had shared meant so little to him – whatever it was I must have been blinded by it because next thing I knew I was pressed against a muscular chest with a hand firmly grasping my arm above its elbow.

His exclamation about people's inability to watch where they were going alerted me to his identity. My blood pounded in my ears, the air in the room became tight, and the skin of my upper arm was emanating heat.

Pulling my voice from somewhere near my stomach (where it had plummeted upon recognition of his), I managed to grind out a feeble apology.

He didn't reply, nor did he let go of my arm. Taking a deep breath (part of my mind took note that he had a clean smell that reminded me of wheat fields in summer), I dragged my gaze above his chiseled chest (I had seen it in the black and white photograph this morning, but the image paled in comparison to the real thing), I looked up into his face.

The irritation from his previous statement had been replaced with something else entirely.

**Tim's POV**

If her voice hadn't been enough, the closeness of our bodies had my earlier imaginings surging from where I had thought them safely ignored. As she looked up at me through her lashes, she managed to be alluring in an unassuming way that was completely disarming.

Stalling, I shrugged and looked over Julie's head around the room. Only one pair of eyes – that I noticed – had caught the moment we were having and their owner was not happy. I handed her the beer from my other hand, "Feel free to run into me anytime Taylor."

As I brushed past her, my reckless attitude and trademark smirk were firmly in place.

There was no way I could ignore such a promising challenge.

**Julie's POV**

The look in his eyes sparked a flame I could feel spreading from my stomach through my body. I knew the blush making its way from my face down my neck was apparent, but I refused to be the first to look away.

When he finally tore his gaze away from mine, I let out the breath I had been unconsciously holding. I remained silent, not wanting to do anything to make him pull away. As Tim scanned the room, he must have seen something that interested him because the smirk that had been conspicuous in its absence the moment before returned by the time his attention returned to me.

The hand that felt natural resting on my arm began to move creating an exquisite friction that added fuel to the fire raging within me. I barely had time to register the slight increase in pressure on my hand before he replaced his hand with a bottle. He kept hold of it as he made an innuendo laden comment absolving me of any offense our initial collision had caused.

He let go of the object connecting us and unhurriedly moved passed me. His arm brushed mine, the back of my free hand touched his and (probably in an unconscious effort to prolong the contact) I turned as he passed watching him amble through the crowd and disappear into the darkness that obscured the backyard.

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